


A Falling Flower

by reflectionsinthewaves



Series: Gardens [1]
Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Alternate Universe - Doctor Who, Developing Relationship, F/M, Friendship/Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-03
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2017-12-31 10:15:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1030497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reflectionsinthewaves/pseuds/reflectionsinthewaves
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose is with Jimmy Stone, but it’s quickly becoming dangerous. In order to get out of the house, she finds a job working at Rasilon Industries with Donna Noble and John Smith.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The subject matter is dark, but it is not overly graphic. If you do not want to read about domestic abuse/sexual abuse, then do not read this fic. Again, it’s not intensely graphic, but these things are heavily implied.

She knew that this wasn't good. She knew that she was doing something wrong. It was that gut feeling, that drop in your stomach the moment you realize you can't get out. She was scared.

A few months ago, she was just a girl working in a shop. Now she's only got one job. Doing everything he wants, not caring how or why. But this can still be worth it, right? This can still be okay. She does enjoy the protective feeling that comes over him. She does enjoy getting taken care of. But it seems like those times are getting further and further apart.

Rose decides to ask if she can get a job again. She'll word it in a way that makes it sound like it'll be better for him. She can serve him more completely if she can pay for the things he wants. In reality, she just wants to get out for a little bit. She feels like the walls of this tiny flat and her tiny life are crushing her.

But it's late now. He's asleep and she's pretending. She likes this time of night, when she can think for herself. The silence of the world is almost comforting. It makes her feel like she's not the only one being suffocated.

\------

"Jimmy?" She's treading carefully. She knows where this can go.

"What?" He's not even paying attention. She knows it.

"I want to get a job again." He glares at her. Maybe this was a mistake. "Just a small one. In a shop or something. Maybe a secretary. I like running your errands and being here for you, I really do, but it'll be easier for me to pay for your stuff if I can make a little money." 

Her stomach is churning. She knew this was a bad idea. 

"Are you going to make it worth my while?" Jimmy seems nonchalant, but deep inside his eyes she sees a scheming darkness. It scares her.

"Yes. Absolutely." She has to butter him up. She needs this.

"Okay. No more than twenty hours a week though. Remember, it's my job to take care of you." 

Rose's stomach churns again. She knows what she wants him to mean. She also knows what he really means.

\------

Finding the job was not hard. It's just a small thing, nothing special. Rose is now a stand in for the secretary at a small office for Rasilon Industries. They sell watches, beautiful watches. They'll give her good hours, and it's not all answering phones. She'll sometimes get called in to do other tasks like bring up supplies from the warehouse, keep the fridge stalked with packs of water, stuff of that nature. She won't be sitting at a desk all day. And she likes that.

It's her first day. She even has her own desk near the entrance. The regular secretary apparently does not like hers touched, so Rose gets to call this one her own. She can personalize it however she wants. She has some freedom. 

She's just starting to set up her computer and her phone line when a man walks in. He's dressed in a brown pinstripe suit. And lovely tie that has swirls on it. He has a really fantastic head if hair. Are those trainers he's wearing? 

"Hello there! You must be the new hire. I'm the Doctor. Well, John Smith, but I like being called the Doctor. Much more exciting, don't you think? Anyway, what is your name?"

Rose is slightly startled. She's now talking to her indirect boss. And he approached her. And he's friendly. Oh, she should reply. 

"Rose" she stutters out. "Rose Tyler. Nice to meet you, Doctor" she adds with a smile. It feels weird, the smile. It feels like it's been so long since she's smiled.

"Nice to meet you Rose Tyler!" Her name rolls off his tongue in just the right way. 

"Hey! Minnie! Back to work!" The regular secretary snaps. Her name is Donna, and started calling Rose "Minnie" because she's at a mini desk compared to hers and she acts like a mini secretary. Rose can't help but be fond of Donna, though. She's got a lot of sass, but she cares. 

"Right, sorry. Nice to meet you, Doctor" she says again with a smile. She likes talking to him. 

"I'm sure we will meet again, Rose Tyler!" He gives her a winning smile as he heads for his office.

Rose has to recover from that encounter. She hasn't felt a rush like that in months. She sits at her desk and looks down, hoping she looks productive.

"Don't worry, I understand. He does that to all of us" Donna says. "The first time I met him I ended up shouting at him because I thought he had kidnapped me. Turns out he closed the closet door when I was taking inventory because he didn't realize anyone was in there. We're friends now."

"He was just so...nice. I thought he would have been some pretentious git."

Donna laughs. "I think it would be easier on all of us if he were. He's so easy to talk to, most of us have wasted an entire day at one point or another. He started noticing that his employees like to talk, so occasionally he'll take one of us out to lunch to get it out of the system. They're fantastic lunches, too!"

"Do you think he'll take me out at some point?" Rose doesn't know why she's asking, she shouldn't be. She has someone to talk to. Someone she's supposed to talk to.

"Oh definitely! I know that smile of his. You made a good first impression."

Rose smiles. It's a genuine smile. She can't remember the last time she smiled this much in one day. She's already happy in this job.

\------

The day goes by quickly at work. She doesn't want it to end, but she knows she has to get home. 

"Hello there, Rose Tyler! How was your first day on the job? Exciting enough, I hope?" She looks up to the Doctor smiling as she packs up her things. 

She smiles. "It was great!"

He smiles back. That smile could probably stop armies. "I'm very glad to hear that! What's your schedule like? Here often?"

"Twenty hours a week. I think I'm mostly a fill in."

He seems to ponder this for a moment. "Twenty. A nice even number. Divisible by four and five. Five four hour days, four five hour days, or if we're lucky, two eight hour days and one four hour! Oh that would be brilliant, wouldn't it?"

Rose watches him, he's looking off into what seems like another dimension. She smiles anyway. "There are so many combination, I don't think I could pick. Maybe mix it up a bit."

He smiles at her "Rose Tyler, adventure awaits you! Enjoy the rest of your day!" 

She watches him leave. She's awestruck. She looks over at Donna, who winks at her.

\------

When Rose gets home, she finds and empty flat. She takes a breath and starts to make dinner.

Jimmy has been very nice about the job, so she decides to make his favorite dinner. She starts to make the pasta and puts steak on the small indoor grill. It's ready in under an hour, and she sets a nice table. And she waits.

Three hours pass and dinner is long past cold. It's nearing midnight, and she knows Jimmy wants her to be awake when he gets home. He more than likely out drinking with his mates, so he won't be back until four in the morning at least. She decides to grab a nap before he gets home. He likes her awake. He says it's more fun that way.

She sets her alarm for three in the morning, just enough time to let her get herself together before he comes in, and goes to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Come with me?"

"Where?"

"Anywhere you want! Time, space, anywhere! You decide!"

She's tempted. She wants to run away. She wants to feel a thrill. She wants to run with that pinstripe suit forever and ever.

"Will it be dangerous?"

"Oh yes!" He says with a spark in his eye. "But oh so rewarding!"

She ponders this for a minute, than takes his hand. He smiles that glorious smile. "Allons-y Rose Tyler!"

They run toward a blue box. She doesn't know how she knows this, but it's called the TARDIS. They're so happy. 

She's yanked back by the wrist, forcing her to let go of him. "Doctor!"

"Rose!" She hears two voices yelling. One shocked, one angry.

"Rosie, I thought I always told you to be awake when I got home!"

Rose jolts awake. "Jimmy! I'm sorry! I set my alarm an everything, I just wanted to be rested for you." She glances at the clock. 4:30 a.m.

"Well, just like everything, you messed that up too! And dinner in the fridge? I taught you better than that. Hot meal on the table, right when I get home. You know what to do!"

His words are slurring. He's definitely been at a pub. He's had too much. She knows what's next, and nothing is going to stop it. "I'm sorry, Jimmy. It'll never happen again."

"You bet it won't happen again!" She can feel the rage pouring through his skin as his hand meets her face with a snap as loud as a gunshot. "You will never, ever do this to me again!" He turns her around and kicks her in the ass. He's always been one for odd methods.

"Now go make me dinner. After that, we can take a look at that cheek. I want you nice and healthy for when you go to work tomorrow, okay?" Jimmy hugs her gently and kisses her forehead. And nudges her toward the kitchen.

\------

By the time Rose gets to bed, she decides it's just better to stay awake. She likes the time to think anyway.

She loves Jimmy. At least she thinks he does. He can be terrible to her, but when he's sweet, he's really sweet. Like he would never let anything happen to her. He'll protect her. And she likes that. She likes that her only real threat is from him. She's strong. She can withstand the pain from him if it means that she won't suffer pain from anyone else, right? 

She used to have so much spark. She misses that version of her. She was so full of life. Ready for adventure. She feels like a completely different person now. When she thinks of that Rose, she wants to cry. She wants to mourn her. She doesn't think that that Rose is ever coming back.

\------

It takes slightly more makeup than usual to cover the bruise on her cheek, but she does a good job. Other than the soreness, it's like nothing ever happened. She tests out a smile, because if she's going to see the Doctor today there's no doubt he'll charm her into one. It hurts a little, but no more than a straight face. 

When she arrives, she says hi to Donna and sits at her desk. She winces; she had spent so much time on her cheek that she forgot about that kick she received last night.

"You okay?" Donna asks, sounding slightly concerned.

"Me? Yeah, I am. I had the bright idea to wax the floors in my flat last night and when I woke up in the middle of the night to get water I slipped. I'm actually glad no one was around to see it" Rose says, giggling a little.

"Believe me, I know that story!" Donna says laughing.

"Hello Donna Noble and Rose Tyler! How are you two today?" A familiar face smiles at them.

Rose just smiles, feeling that twinge of pain. The Doctor gives her a bit of a look, like he noticed something he feels like he should be worried about.

"Oi! Spaceman! Sign these forms for me will you?" Donna pulls them both out of a reverie they didn't know they were in.

"Right, of course! So sorry." He fumbles through the papers. "Rose, do you like chips?"

She realized her mouth is hanging open. "Yeah, I do. They're my favorite food, actually" she adds smiling.

"Then would you care to join me for some this afternoon? Take a long lunch, on me. We've got all the time in the world!"

Rose looks over at Donna, who smiles and winks at her. "I'd love to!"

He smiles a great big smile "Brilliant! See you then!"

"Yeah, see ya then!"

Donna and Rose exchange a smile and a giggle, and the morning luckily goes by fast.

\------

"So Rose Tyler. Tell me about your life. Tell me everything. I'm curious" the Doctor says as they walk to the chippy.

Rose laughs "you don't want to know about my life. It's boring and unimportant. I want to know about your life."

"Fine. I was born at Gallifrey University, grew up on the Gallifrey campus, went to Gallifrey, and got my doctorate from Gallifrey. Then I got bored of staying in the same place all the time, so I went traveling. Well not so much traveling as wandering about. I ended up in some pretty exciting places, believe it or not. I felt like I've been to the end of the universe and back and I would still love to do it again." He's off in his own world now.

"Why did you stop?"

"I ran out of money. I had just enough to come back to London. I got a job, hated it, got another job, hated that one too, so eventually I started selling watches. I like to tinker, and whenever I had leftover supplies I would make watches. All unique, all made of different things. Well, I say unique and made of different things but really they're junk. They work beautifully, but they're junk. Junk that found a new way in life. Eventually everything grew and now I have Rasilon Industries. It's nice, but I would love to leave it to someone to go travel again."

"No kids or a wife?"

He laughs. "No, actually. I don't do domestic, you see. Being in one place isn't something I'm after. I had a big family once. But they're all gone now." He gets quiet.

It hits her. She remembers Gallifrey and Gallifrey University. There was a plane crash six years ago. The gasoline and the radiation caused so many deaths. "I'm sorry." She holds his hand for a moment. It may be overstepping some employee/boss boundary, but she doesn't care. If she were in his shoes, she would want someone to hold her hand.

"Thanks, but it was a long time ago. It was while I was away." He gives her hand a small squeeze and she knows he doesn't want to talk about it anymore. "Now you!" the Doctor sure does change his moods at the drop of a pin.

Rose smiles "like I said, it's boring. Born and raised in London, I was working in a shop. That's how I met my boyfriend. I actually ended up losing my shop job, and for a while I didn't need to get a new one. Then I got bored, and now I work for Rasilon."

"And your family?"

"My dad died when I was a baby, so it's just been me and my mum for a long time. I haven't talked to her in a while, though. We've been busy."

"I see. And what's this Jimmy bloke like?"

She has to think for a moment. How on earth could she describe the person that terrifies her but protects her until the world ends? "He's an interesting person. He takes care of me." 

"At least interesting doesn't bore you. Now, I'm sure you've got hopes and dreams and other things of that sort?"

She brightens considerably. No one has ever bothered to ask her what she wants to do with her life. "I don't know what I want exactly. I know I want to do something that matters. I know I want to go places and lead an exciting life, but that's not as easy as it sounds for someone like me."

"You'd be surprised. Sometimes you just need someone to show you the ropes." He winks as they arrive. "Brilliant! The ones in the newspaper always taste the best!"

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that! Jimmy usually makes fun of me for it."

"Then he clearly doesn't know what he's missing!"

"He sure doesn't! These chips are gorgeous!"

The Doctor smiles and through and probably have the most enjoyable meal Rose has had since she first met Jimmy. She's genuinely happy, and she likes this feeling. But she can't help but feel a nagging twinge at the pit of her stomach. She knows Jimmy wouldn't like this.

\------

"So??? How was lunch? What did you guys talk about? Tell me everything Minnie, I've been waiting all morning!" Donna says excitedly.

"It was nice. We got to know each other a bit. He likes his chips the same way I do." Rose smiles to herself at the thought. It makes her happy, and that's silly. 

"Oh fantastic!" Rose is glad Donna is excited. It makes her feel like she belongs here.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter has implied explicit content. If you do not want to read/are not comfortable reading about sexual violence, then use discretion. If you want to read the rest of the chapter, look for the line “Rosie are you okay?”. You will still be able to piece together what happened.

"Rosie, come on. You know you want to give me some." 

"Jimmy, I'm sorry, but I'm sore and tired. Tomorrow night, okay?"

"Rosie. You know our deal. You let me take care of you, alright?" Jimmy approaches her. He stands over her and Rose feels so small she can't take it. She moves away. "Don't you dare walk away from me, Rose!" He yells, grabbing her arm and twisting it behind her back. She yelps in pain. "Shut up!" He screams.

She knows what's coming. There's no point in avoiding it. "Okay, Jimmy. We can do it."

He shoves her into the bedroom and throws her on the ground. "No using the bed this time. No comfort for a girl who resists."

Rose knows that she's going to have bruises tomorrow. She thinks her clothes will cover most of them. 

"Ready, Rosie?" Without giving her a chance to answer, the rips off her pants. "Answer me!"

"Yes!" She squeaks. Maybe she'll get lucky this time. Maybe it will feel good.

It doesn't. All it is is pain and screaming. The only good thing is that he likes to get it over with fast. It hurts her more, but it's better than the pain being dragged out.

"Rosie? Are you okay?" Jimmy asks when it's all over. "Don't cry Rosie, it's okay. I won't let anything hurt you. Let's go get you cleaned up, okay?"

Rose nods, wiping involuntary tears from her cheek. She winces when she uses the arm that Jimmy twisted. And as she gets up. The bruises are worse than she thought. She meets Jimmy in the kitchen.

"Here, this is just some ice for your arm" he says holding out a plastic bag with a towel over it. "Where does it hurt the most?"

"I think my wrist. I'll be okay, though."

"Don't be silly, come here." He kisses her wrist with gentle lips and applies the ice. "Do we need to clean you up a little anywhere?"

"No, I think I'm okay. Everything should heal on its own in a couple of days, at most."

"You would tell me right? You have to let me take care of you, Rosie."

"I'm sure. I would tell you."

"Good, now let's go to bed, okay? A nice long sleep will help." He puts an arm around her and tenderly helps her to the bedroom. He lays her down, tucks her in, and she's just too exhausted to do anything but fall asleep.

\------

Rose goes into work the next day. She's been working for about a month, and she loves it. She's usually exhausted or hurting, but work makes her happy. She's not only had two more lunches with the Doctor, but she's had plenty with Donna as well. She's learned about the friendship between the Doctor and Donna and, quite honestly, she's a little jealous. She's never had that good of a friendship, not even with Jimmy. And Donna cares about her. On days when Rose has shown up looking especially tired, Donna will take her out for a coffee. Rose never asks for it, but Donna always knows when she needs it. Today is one of those days.

Donna leaves to go get some more paper from the printer when the Doctor comes in.

"Hello, Doctor" Rose greets him with the best smile she can manage. She thinks she does a pretty good job.

"Hello, Rose! Lovely to see you today!" He says cheerfully. 

"It's really nice to see you too!" Rose is very happy to see him. There's no reason he should, but he makes her feel comfortable. She doesn't get that terrible feeling when she sees him. Even the first time she saw Jimmy she got that feeling. Of course, she pushed past it because there was no reason she should push a guy away without a chance because of a silly gut feeling. Now look where she is.

The Doctor studies her for a minute. He looks a little concerned. "Are you okay? You look a bit...tired." 

She suddenly becomes very self conscious. And very good at improvisation, a skill she usually has with everyone, but with him it flies out the window. "Yes, I'm fine. The people in the flat above us got an early start to their weekend. It didn't end until about six in the morning."

"Right. Well, let me know if you need anything." He walks away, still watching her out of the corner of his eye. He finally ducks out of sight into his office.

Rose puts her head in her hands. He noticed. He knew something was wrong. She gave too much away, and she knows it. He told her to let him know if she needed anything. It should be the other way around. She's supposed to help him. She lets out a sigh.

Not even a minute after the Doctor leaves, Donna is by her side. "Come on, sweetie. I think you could use some coffee."

Rose nods and follows.

\------

There's a coffee shop right next door to the office building, which is really quite convenient at times like these. It's a short walk, and the building block a lot of the wind when it's cold.

"Alright. Spill." Donna commands, handing Rose her usual cafe mocha with an extra shot.

"How long were you standing there?" Rose asks.

"I came back just before he came in. You guys have good conversations, so I waited a bit."

"It's just that I think he was concerned or something. Something that he should not be concerned about and frankly is none of his business." Rose doesn't know what's coming over her. "Sorry. I've just had a long night."

"Your neighbors weren't having a party, were they?"

Rose looks up, speechless.

"Rose, sweetie, I know the signs. Before Lee, I was with a man called Lance. He was a right awful git and were he still here he'd never see the light of day. But at the time, I wanted to be with him. He made me feel good about myself. At a price." 

Rose couldn't say anything. She could never imagine wonderfully sassy Donna in a relationship like hers. She much too confident, much too brilliant.

"Rose, I know. It's hard. But you can trust me. I promise. I care about you. I see the bruises on your wrists and the way you're so careful with your body. I was the same way."

Rose looks at her, and all she wants to do is cry. She hates crying. It makes her feel weak. But Donna is there and they're really the only ones in the shop so she does. She lets it out and Donna hugs her. It seems like they could have been there an eternity as well as a few minutes.

"It's just that he protects me. He wouldn't let anything hurt me. Except him. I'm scared of him but I'm more scared of what would happen without him." Rose mumbles as she regains composure.

"This is not a healthy relationship. Trust me. There's so much more out there for you. So many good things. I promise."

Rose nods. "I can't leave him. Not yet. I don't know what will happen if I do."

"Sweetheart, you have to get out as fast as you can. You can come stay with me. We'll have fun together too. We'll get through all of this together, alright?"

Rose nods again. "Do I have to do it tonight?"

"That would be best. And if anything goes wrong I'll be right there with you and you'd better believe that if he pulls anything I will take the nearest electrical plug and shove it right up hi--"

Rose cuts her off with a laugh. She shouldn't be laughing, she knows she shouldn't, but the picture of Jimmy plugged into a lamp and Donna chasing him with another plug and the stress of everything is just too much, and she lets herself laugh. Donna hugs her again and laughs a little, too.

\------

Donna and Rose continue their work, and overall it's a fairly productive day. With each minute ticking by, Rose knows what's going to happen. She just wants to stay at work. She doesn't want to go home and face Jimmy. Donna is there for her, but she can't stop shaking. She's terrified. She doesn't want to do this. She doesn't want to do this. She knows she has to, but oh, she doesn't want to do this.

Like a fire alarm the phone jolts rose out of her state of mind.

"Rasilon Industries, this is Rose."

"Is Donna there?" A familiar voice asks? 

"Hi Lee, she's right here, hold on." Rose transfers the call to Donna. She's met Lee three times in the month that she's been here, and talked to him on the phone at least twice a week. The two of them are so gloriously in love.

"Oh my god, are you sure? When's the next flight? Okay, I'll be home in a half hour." Donna sounds panicked.

"What's wrong?"

"Rose, sweetie, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but there's and emergency with Lee's parents in America. I have to cancel our plans, but please, please promise me to be safe, alright? Hang in there."

Rose nods, she doesn't want Donna to leave, but she also relieved that she doesn't have to leave Jimmy tonight. The shaking in her body gives way to the clamminess of relief. "How long will you be gone?"

"About three weeks. I'm really sorry, sweetheart. I really am. I'll call to check in every couple of days of not more, okay? And don't worry about phone bills, I've got them all covered. Call me any time, okay?"

Rose nods again and hugs Donna like her life depends on it. It's short, but they both know. "Tell Lee I'm sorry about his parents, and let me know if I can do anything to help, okay?"

"Thank you, Rose. And don't forget to call!"

"I won't! Bye Donna."

"Bye, Rose. I'll be back soon! Be safe!"

Rose watches her leave. She gives herself about five minutes to recover and decides to tell the Doctor what happened.

She knocks on his door. "Doctor? Do you have a moment?"

"Rose! Of course I have a moment, I have nothing but moments!"

"Donna had to leave early. There was some kind of emergency with Lee's parents in America and she won't be back for about three weeks. She said that she's really sorry, but you can call her any time. I thought you should know. She wanted to say goodbye, but she had to hurry."

"That's terrible! Thank you for letting me know, I'll call her tomorrow to check in."

"Let me know how everything is, I'm worried about her."

"Oh, Donna will be just fine. She can shout her way out of anything." He says with a small smile. "Rose, are you okay? Really? You've been off all day."

"I'm fine. I'm feeling better now, actually. I thought I might have been coming down with something, but I feel totally fine now." She hopes to god this cover works.

"Are you sure you don't want to take off early, too? Go home and rest?"

"Nope!" She says a bit too quickly. She regains herself. "No, actually, I haven't been out in a long time. Jimmy 's at some pub with some friends so I thought I might go see a movie or something." Movies are good. Dark so no one can determine if you were actually there, and they're just entertaining enough to be distracting from life.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something. Seeing as it's Friday night, I would love for someone to go to the planetarium with me. Sometimes they'll close early on Fridays to let me have the place to myself. I did a lot of work there a few years back and this is their way of repaying me, I guess." He says a little sheepishly.

Rose smiles wider than she has in a long time. "Are you asking me out, Doctor?"

He smiles just as wide. "Well, you know, I don't like to do everything by myself. I do enjoy company. Especially with science-y things. What do you say? Friend date?"

She laughs. "Friend date. And when will this be taking place?"

"How about right now? It's Friday, people slack off, let's go have fun!"

"Sounds good to me!"

They grab each other's hands like it's the most natural thing in the world. The run through the building and a few blocks over to the planetarium. She forgot how much she loves running. She hasn't been able to do it for so long. Usually it hurt too much. But tonight, it's exhilarating. It's fun. She loves it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you do not want to read/are uncomfortable reading about domestic violence, but want to continue reading the story, feel free to comment or something for an edited version of the chapter or for passages to skip. I would be more than happy to help you out. I just can’t give guidelines before the chapter because it tends to give away some spoilers. I'm still learning how to use this site so it might take a little bit, but I don't mind at all! The same goes for future and past chapters. I am more than happy to help you out.

They run into the theatre out of breath like two children. "This is amazing!" Rose breathes, awestruck at the size of the screen on the ceiling.

"Oh-ho! You haven't seen anything yet!" The Doctor says as he pulls a giant switch, turning out all the lights.

"Doctor, how on earth am I supposed to see where I'm going?"

"Be patient Miss Tyler!" She hears him pull another switch and the ceiling lights up with stars and constellations and planets and moons.

It feels like she standing in space. "It's beautiful." She can hardly form the words. She's staring at the universe. It's all so clear and close yet so far and vast.

"Isn't it though? See that? That's the sun. Our sun. Only we're looking at it from Pluto." He says, smiling and pointing to where she's supposed to see. "Oh! I haven't showed you the best part!" He runs off to the switchbox. "Close you eyes!"

She does. She should be cautious, she knows she should, but she trusts him.

He takes her hands. "Now, follow me. I promise I won't let you run into anything."

She follows blindly. She really does trust him. 

"Now, lay down, and look up." 

She does as she's told when she feels him lie next to her. Her mouth hangs open like a codfish. It's beautiful. The whole universe is rotating around them. They can see everything. They're flying through space without ever leaving the ground. 

"It amazing!" She squeaks happily. "I've never seen anything like this before!" 

"It's glorious, isn't it?"

"It's gorgeous."

They spend what seems like hours laying on the floor together. He shows her planets and constellations and she points out her favorite stars and nebulas. Then they start talking. About work, about funny stories each have experienced, about their childhoods.

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you really okay?"

She smiles in the soft light of the universe before them. "Of course I am. I've got the whole universe at my fingertips!"

He smiles slightly. "But overall, are you really okay? I heard some of what Donna was telling you before she left. She had to cancel some plans and you sounded sort of...relieved. She also told you to be safe. You're my friend, Rose. I care about you. I want you to be okay."

Rose sighs. "Yeah. I'm okay. Jimmy and I just had a small fight last night that wasn't quite resolved. She was going to take me out so I could go in with a clear head. It's okay, really."

"Is that why you seemed tired earlier?"

"Yeah. We were up pretty late."

He sighs a little, like he's not entirely satisfied with the answer. "I wasn't just saying that earlier, you know. If you ever need anything, just ask, okay?"

She takes his hand and squeezes it a little. "Yeah. Thank you."

\------

She gets home late, but not as late as Jimmy. He has no idea that she went out, and she likes to keep it that way. She takes a small beating and they go to bed, but it doesn't hurt as much as the others. It's because she's happy. The Doctor made her happy, so the pain wasn't as bad. If things are like this, maybe she won't have to leave him.

\------

The first two weeks of Donna's absence goes by rather quickly. Rose misses her a lot, but she and the Doctor have been hanging out much more often. Most days they get lunch together. She loves it. They talk about everything, but generally they shy away from the subject of Jimmy. The Doctor still asks if she's okay on the days when she looks tired, but they never dive too deep into that conversation.

There's one day where the Secretary department has loads of work. It's Thursday, and Donna is due back sometime tomorrow. A lot of it has to be done today. Rose dives in, but soon it becomes clear that she'll have to work late. She doesn't mind at all. She loves working. But she knows Jimmy will be waiting for her.

She finishes and she gets home an hour late. Maybe Jimmy will let it slide. It is only an hour. 

"Rosie? Is that you?" A voice calls as she walks in. It sounds sweet but there's a menacing undertone.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry I'm late, Jimmy. The other secretary has been gone for a couple of weeks, but she'll be back tomorrow so it won't happen again."

"Come into the kitchen, Rosie. I want to show you something."

Rose knows she should run away. She knows that this won't end well for her. But she can't. She can't do anything. She goes into the kitchen to find Jimmy holding something, but she can't quite tell what it is.

"Sit down, Rosie." Before she has a chance he grabs her by the hair and forces her into a chair. "Now, this is just to teach you never to be late again, understand?" His voice is furious as he ties a piece of thick cloth around her face, blocking all hopes of vision. 

"Please don't do this to me" she pleads. "I promise it'll never happen again!"

"Shut up you little bitch!" He shouts. She hears him open a drawer and close it again. She's not sure which drawer, but her gut tells her which one it is.

"Now, hold still, you don't know what's where!" He taunts. 

She feels a splitting pain through her upper arm, just below the shoulder. She tries not to cry out when she feels the warm wetness run down her arm. Again and again he slices her skin, always above the wrist. He knows she has clothes to cover this. The pain is so intense she can't bear it. After another long slice, she cries out in pain, still trying to hold completely still. If she moves she knows it'll be worse.

"Shut up! I told you to shut up!" Jimmy shouts. She knows the neighbors can hear is. She also knows they won't come. She smells cigarette smoke. Oh no. No, no, not this.

Small points of heat and searing pain attack her legs. Tears stream down her face.

"Jimmy! Please, if you do much more, I can't cover it up" she cries weakly.

He stops, pondering. "I'll give you this much you little whore, you're smart about injuries." He says and he packs a punch right into her stomach. 

The wind leaves her body instantly. She can't even recover before another blow to the shoulders and chest, a twist of each arm, and a kick in each leg. 

She's crying and she can't help it. She can't stop the tears from flowing. She's bracing herself for the next blow when a hand gently cups her cheek.

"Rosie? Let's go get you cleaned up okay? Then we'll have a nice cup of tea." Jimmy leads her to the bathroom, supporting a lot of her weight. She can't do anything but cry.

"We were lucky" he says as he cleans her wounds. "These cuts aren't very deep. They should scab over by morning so you won't have to worry about blood on your clothes. And the burns can be covered with regular band-aids."

Rose can barely think. She can believe what just happened. She can only focus on the pain.

He carries her to bed tenderly and tucks her in. The cup of tea is on the nightstand. She doesn't want it. "Sleep well, Rosie."

She doesn't sleep at all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of hurt/comfort in this chapter!

The next day she can hardly move. Despite the pain, her shower feels good. It feels like she's rinsing all the nightmares away. Once she moves she finds its easier to keep moving. 

She's relieved when she comes into work. Jimmy can't touch her here. But her relief is short-lived when she realizes all the physical work that her job entails. She bites back tears multiple times before the Doctor even come in.

She puts on her best smile. "Hello, Doctor! Have a good evening?"

He gives her a slight smile as he studies her. "It was nice, how was yours?"

She knows he's asking more than he seems. "You know, same old same old."

He just looks at her. Today he makes no effort to hide his concern. She knows that look. She smiles and nods. She's giving him an out but he's not taking it. She knows he knows that something is wrong. 

She changes the subject. "Donna's coming back today, yeah? That'll be nice!" She says as cheerfully as she can manage.

A small smile creeps up on his face. "So she is! Maybe we'll get lucky and she'll stop by."

"Nah, she deserves the afternoon to relax. It was a long trip."

"You're right, I suppose. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

She smiles "yeah."

\------

It's a few hours later when the printer runs out of paper. She needs to get a new box from the warehouse, and she knows it'll hurt. Everyone else in the office seems to have taken off for the day, so she doesn't have to worry about them. Just the Doctor. Maybe if she just gets lucky she can move fast enough for it not to hit until she sits down at her desk. Gingerly, she gets up and starts to hobble toward the stair case.

She's just about to approach the Doctor's office when she realizes that she has to act as normal as possible. She stands up straight and walks as fast and normal as she can manage. She doesn't think he noticed her.

She walks down the stairs with great caution. Every step she takes sends pain shooting through her legs. Her clothes rub uncomfortably against her burns, and she can barely breathe. 

She finds the box and tries to lift it, but immediately drops it. Tears are threatening to spill over her cheeks as she gets a good grip and throws it over one step at a time. About halfway up, she can't take it anymore. She's too exhausted, in too much pain, too emotionally drained. She drops it and struggles to keep her footing. She clings on to the railing just to stand upright.

"Rose!" 

She hears the door open and before she can process what's happening, the Doctor is at her side, helping her sit down.

"Rose what's wrong?" Concern is plain on his face. His brow is furrowed and she's never seen him look so worried. She just wants him to relax. 

"No, don't worry, I'm fine. Just really sore. Went to the gym last night, yeah? Might have pulled something." She's choking out the words. She can't look at him. She wants to cry but she can't. She can't. 

"Rose, will you let me see? What would you have pulled?" He clearly knows that this is not from a bad gym workout, but he has to help her on her terms. She's never felt more grateful in her life.

She chokes out the first word that comes to mind, mostly because it really does hurt the most. "Elbow."

"I'm going to take a look, okay? That way I can determine what kind of ice pack to get you. Did I ever tell you I'm a doctor?" He smiles just enough to get her to smile back. 

She lifts up the arm closest to him just enough so he can gently take it. Her breathing is ragged with exhaustion and pain and she's trying to grab the railing for something to squeeze on to but that only causes more searing pain.

She watches his face as he lifts up her loose sleeve, not wanting to look at her injuries. She sees him trying to hide his worry and concern when he sees the cuts and burns. She can't look at him, she can't bear to see that look on his face.

"Rose?" He says gently, although an overwhelming concern is hidden underneath his soothing sounds. "Rose? Where did these come from?"

She only looks at him. She shakes her head and the tears start to fall. She can't help it. She looks away again. Jimmy 's going to kill her now. She can't handle this anymore. It's too much. She can't endure this pain. She can't take the hopelessness anymore.

"Rose," the Doctor says soothingly. "Whatever happened, you're safe now, okay? I won't let anything hurt you." She nods. "Do you want me to call Donna?"

"It's her first day back, let her rest. I'll be oka--" she's cut off by the pain as she tries to get up.

The Doctor sits her back down. "Rose, you're not okay. Please, let me help you. You're my friend, and I don't like seeing any of my friends in pain."

She smiles slightly, still crying. "Okay" she chokes out through pain. 

"Is it okay if I help you up the stairs to the break room? You can lay on the couch until we figure out what to do, okay?"

Rose nods, the tears are overflowing. "Thank you" she can barely whisper.

"Anything you need." He's genuinely concerned. He cares about her. This isn't an act like it is with Jimmy. With the Doctor, she's safe.

He helps her stand, but when she's in so much pain that she can't breathe, he decides enough is enough. 

"Rose, I'm going to carry you up the stairs. I promise it'll be quick and I'll be really gentle, okay? You can tell me any time if you want to stop."

She nods through the tears. She didn't know she could cry this much.

He picks her up with no trouble at all. She can't believe how gentle he is. No one's been that gentle with her in God knows how long. She digs her face into his shoulder and cries. He whispers comforting nothings to her and she stops before the reach the top of the stairs. 

Rose has never been so happy to see a couch in her life. The Doctor sets her down delicately and sits on the floor beside her. 

"I'm going to call Donna, okay?" She nods. "Do you want me to call Jimmy too?" 

She can see the pain in his eyes as he asks, and she knows he can see the panic in hers as she almost shouts "No! I mean, no, thanks. He doesn't need to be bothered with this."

He seems relieved. If she remembers correctly, he met Jimmy once by chance at a pub. She wasn't there, of course, but from what she understood, he did not seem very fond of her "boyfriend". 

"Donna? Hey, it's me. Would you mind coming into work this afternoon? Both rose and I would love to see you!" He sounds worried and he knows Donna is picking up on it. She hears Donna talking, but she can't make out the words. She does hear her name, though.

"Tell her I couldn't do it." She says softly to the Doctor, giving him a nod telling him she'll know what it means.

"She said to tell you she couldn't do it."

Silence on the other end. A mumble. The Doctor hands the phone to Rose.

"Donna?"

"Rose! My god, Rose, what happened?"

"Don't worry, I'm okay. I promise. Just a few scrapes, yeah?"

"I'll be there in a half hour. Just relax sweetheart, okay? And put that Spaceman of a Doctor on."

Rose hands the phone back to the Doctor. She hopes he didn't notice her struggle too much. 

"I don't know.... I don't know.... I haven't asked.... Well, I wasn't sure..." suddenly he leaves the room. 

"She hasn't let me look. I don't know how bad they are....of course I'm concerned! I'm more than concerned, actually! I'm furious that someone could have done something like this to her! Oh, you'd better believe I care!..... Donna!..... Fine. I'll let you know. And Donna? Thank you."

He comes back in and sits beside her again. "Rose, this isn't a gym injury." He knows it's a fact, but he says it carefully. It's comforting.

She shakes her head solemnly.

"Did you do this to yourself?" He asks but he looks like he knows the answer already.

She barks a sharp laugh. "No, don't worry. I wouldn't hurt myself on purpose."

He looks relieved. He takes her hand and she closes her eyes. "Will you tell me what happened?" He asks softly.

"He just doesn't like it when I'm late." She sighs "it was my fault, really."

She can hear his sharp intake of breath, and for a second she's scared. But then he strokes her hand comfortingly. Tears flow silently down her cheeks again, but this time they aren't out of pain or sadness. They're tears of relief. She has people who care. She has people that can help her get out of this nightmare. 

"How badly are you hurt, Rose?" 

"My arms and my legs are pretty beat up. I got the wind knocked out of me. That's about it though."

He looks at her softly. "Can I help?"

She bites her lip and tries not to cry as she lifts her sleeves so show a large extent of the battery. Then she rolls up her pants to the knee, exposing bruises that take up most of her shin and the burns that have either popped or are about to. She cries as she lays down and closes her eyes. She doesn't know why she's doing these things. She doesn't know why she trusts him. She doesn't know why she's letting herself go in front of him. All she can do is squeeze his hand and say "please. Please don't ever let it happen again."

He nods, looking at her. He kisses her forehead and continues to hold her hand. She has not seen this kindness for a very long time.

They sit there for a while in a comfortable silence. Her tears have stopped, but she has not let go of his hand. 

"This is not your fault." He says sternly. "You didn't cause this. You are in no way responsible, okay?" He's more comforting now. He doesn't let go of her hand. She nods, her eyes not leaving his.

A few moments later, they hear the door. Rose moves to get up but is slowed by pain shooting at her from all over her body. The Doctor motions for her to stay where she is. 

At first, she's panicked. She doesn't know how long she's been here. She was probably supposed to be home a long time ago. It's Friday? Jimmy goes out on Fridays right? Not this Friday, she remembers. He said he had a special surprise for her. Her breathing speeds up and the Doctor gets up to see who came in, but if it's Jimmy he'll beat the living crap out him. She can't let that happen. She can't do that. She catches his hand with a death grip, and it's clear she's scared.

"Where the hell is that bloody git?!?! I'll cut of his dick and use it to strangle him!" A wonderfully familiar voice calls down the hallway.

Rose visibly relaxes and the Doctor smiles. "No way in hell it's long enough!" She calls back to Donna with a small burst of confidence. 

The Doctor laughs and Donna comes in smiling for a moment "I knew you had some fight left in you."

"Just took a friend or two to give me a boost." Rose says with a timid smile.

"Rose, sweetheart, what happened?"

After a moment, Rose is quiet when she speaks. "I couldn't do it, Donna. I'm sorry, but I couldn't do it. Even with you there he would have come after me and after you and I couldn't do it. I'm a coward and I can't do it. I'm so sorry. I can't do it. I came home late yesterday and I knew I shouldn't have gone into the kitchen but it could have been so much worse if I had. There was a knife and cigarettes and I couldn't see anything and it HURT. I said I wouldn't be able to cover it up if he kept going so he hit me instead and I guess it was better. He said I was lucky, minor burns and shallow cuts and stuff. I can't do it Donna I can't, I can't. He's got friends all over the place and I can't risk it I can't--" she cuts herself off. She can't breathe and she can't gain control. She crying and she can't stop. 

"Shh, shh, sweetheart look at me. Come on." Donna says, cupping Rose's tear stained cheek. "You're not alone anymore. You've got us. We're here for you, okay?" 

Rose nods. 

"Will you let me help you? You know you've got things that could get infected."

She nods again. 

"Lee's just finishing putting the guest room together, so you can come stay with me, okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

Panic shoots over her again. "No! No hospitals. Not till we have to. He'd find me. Please no hospitals."

Donna nods. "Okay. Then I'm going to run to the drug store to get bandages and stuff, alright? I'll be back in fifteen minutes." 

Rose nods and watches her go. She sees the look of confusion on the Doctor's face. "I hate hospitals. I always have. Last time I was in the hospital Jimmy got so mad at me for telling someone what was going on he--never mind. It wasn't pretty."

The Doctor nods and strokes her hair.   
"What time is it?" She asks him. She's afraid of his answer. 

"About six" he says, glancing at his watch.

Her stomach drops. "Oh FUCK!" She gets up as fast as she can and shrieks at the pain. She can't stop and cry now.

"Rose! What are you doing?" He worried and confused, but he reaches for her to sit back down.

"I can't be late two days in a row!" She's struggling to catch her breath when she realizes she can't breathe. She grips the wall and tries to thrust herself into the hallway when the Doctor is instantly in front of her, catching her.

"Rose! Rose, you can't go back there, not now, Rose, it's okay, I'm here." He supports her as she cries and catches her breath. He leads them over to the couch and sits them down. He's holding her, careful not to hurt her. "Shh, it's okay, you're safe here. I won't let anything happen to you."

She nods as her cries quiet down and her breathing steadies. "Please don't let go."

"I promise I won't."

She feels safe. In that moment, she feels safe and at peace. But then the door opens. Donna can't be back that fast. She knows who it is. She starts shaking and she can't control it. Her stomach drops and now she's terrified.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to send a special thank you to Tygerlily for leaving a comment that absolutely made my day. This chapter is for you!

It takes her a moment to realize that the Doctor has stiffened, too. He carefully moved around her to get up, but she catches his hand again. 

"Please don't" she whispers. 

"Rosie, you little bitch! I told you to be home by five! Oh, you're gonna get it!"

She can't stop shaking. She's clinging on to the Doctor's hand for life itself. She can feel herself pale and her skin go ice cold. She's terrified.

"Rosie! Come out and play!" He taunts. He's getting closer.

"Help me up." she whispers, it's barely audible.

The Doctor tries to shake his head before he's interrupted. "Doctor, I have to do it. I won't have any effect if I'm sitting like a lump."

He knows what she's going to do. He helps her but is never more than a foot away as she walks around the corner to meet the man that has made a nightmare her reality.

"Ah, there you are, Rosie! Been hiding from me have you?" Jimmy asks with a sneer.

"Shut up, Jimmy." Rose says. She's trying to sound brave and strong but it just ends up being small and weak.

"Come on, Rosie! It's time to go home! I think you need to be put in your place."

"No. I'm not going with you. I'm gone. You've lost me." 

He approaches her, much too close for her comfort level. "And how exactly are you going to stop me? We both know what I did. No point in hiding it now!" He grabs her arm, causing her to shriek out in pain.

"Let go!" Rose shouts.

"Let go of her!" The Doctor roars from around the corner.

Jimmy spins around to see who exactly he was dealing with. Tall, skinny, not much of a threat for someone of Jimmy 's size.

Rose takes this moment. She sees the Doctor. He won't let him take her. "HEY DICKFACE!" She yells and just as he turns around she uses all of her remaining strength to throw her whole body into a punch that would throw any grown man off his tracks. 

Jimmy spits some blood onto the floor. "OH YOU LITTLE BITCH!" He screams. 

She's never heard him yell like that, and it terrifies her. She knows that voice will haunt her for a long time. Always screaming. Always causing pain.

"Rose look out!" The Doctor yells running for her. 

Before she can do anything, a rock hard fist meets her face, then her abdomen, and then a cool floor greets her body. 

Pain. That's all she feels. Sharp, spirit killing pain.

"Rose!" The Doctor yells again, but she can't do anything. He sees him turn to Jimmy. "How dare you hurt her. No one hurts her. Not if you value your life." He's not yelling. He's not screaming. But somehow this is so, so much worse.

"And how exactly are you going to stop me?" Jimmy spits.

Like a bullet from a gun, the Doctor lunges at him. He knocks out a tooth, throws him to the ground, and hits that one spot that could knock anybody unconscious. 

"Rose! Rose are you okay?" The Doctor rushes over and kneels beside her.

"Doctor" she whispers, reaching for him. She can't do much else. She can't get up. The pain has dulled a little, but it HURTS. Everything does. Everything about this God awful situation. She hates it. She looks up at him, she's trying to bite back tears. She wants to tell him that she's sorry, she wants to thank him, she wants him to hold her and never let go. She clutches on to him and sobs. She can't control. She wants to be strong but she CAN'T. 

She hears some movement and she's terrified he's woken up. She starts to panic, her breathing increases, she starts shaking.

"Rose, it's okay. It's only Donna, I promise." He whispers calmly as he points to where Donna is standing. 

Rose looks up at her, and she's so relieved. They'll take care of her, for real. They won't hurt her before they care. 

"Rose, sweetheart, are you okay?" Donna kneels beside her and the Doctor. When she nods, Donna decides they all have to move. "How long has he been out?"

The Doctor gulps. "About five minutes."

Rose looks, at the Doctor, fear in her eyes. He's been out a long time. That means he'll wake up. 

"Get me out of here" she pleads. Donna moves to help Rose up, and the Doctor goes toward Jimmy. 

"We can lock him in one of the spare offices until the police arrive." He says, moving almost out of arm's reach when Rose grabs his hand.

"Please don't, we'll hide. It'll only make him angry and he's got friends and please just don't leave me." She begs. Both he and Donna nod. 

Like they already had some sort of emergency plan, the Doctor picks Rose up as Donna calls the police. He takes her to the break room and lays her on the couch. Then it's just them. 

She looks at him, tears welling in her eyes. "Thank you" she mouths before she looks away with tears flooding over her. 

"Hey, you're okay now. You're safe, Rose. Rose," he says softly, smiling slowly, bringing her face to look at him. "You did it." 

She smiles back through the tears and coughs. She tried to laugh, but that's all she could manage.

"I always knew you could."

She smiles and nods as Donna comes in and locks the door behind her. "The police are on their way. They said ten minutes. Rose, sweetheart, I am so sorry for leaving you." Concern is evident on her face. 

But Rose just smiles. She's sitting next to her two best friends. They won't let anything else happen to her. She's safe now. "You were safe. That's all I care about."

Donna strokes Rose 's hair. "And now you are, too. We promise."

After a few minutes, they hear banging on the door. Rose jumps then winces, mad at herself that she's in this much pain. 

"Rosie, you little bitch get out here!!"

"You make her come out and I swear to god that there is not a force in the universe that will stop me from protecting her!" The Doctor yells back. 

Then they hear thumping. They hear the hinges and the lock strain under the pressure of his immense body slams. 

A shaking Rose tries to get up to protect her friends. She's taking this beating before, they shouldn't have to because of her. 

But the Doctor keeps her down. Not in a threatening way like Jimmy, but in a comforting way. He pulls her close to him. He puts his arms around her like she dreams someone would put their arms around her. It's loving. The only difference is that he's going to protect her, his body is blocking hers. 

Donna is sassing him off as she finds other ways to block the door. Rose wants Donna to hide, to get to safety, but she knows there's no use in protesting.

They hear more shouting. A lot of shouting. A lot of banging. "Police! Get away from the door!"

Jimmy still breaks through the door. She can't quite catch all that happens, but she sees him fall to the ground right before a police officer tackles him. Then there's three more in the room. Suddenly she's moving, but it takes her a moment to realize that the Doctor is still holding her. He's carrying her. Donna is holding her hand as they go outside. Why are they outside?   
No, no, they can't be outside. Everyone will see her, everyone will know. She hasn't been hiding the injuries well enough, Jimmy's gonna kill her. 

"Rose" the Doctor whispers. "Rose, it's okay. We have to go with the police, they'll take us somewhere safe. Donna's going to stay here and talk with them before meeting us at her house, okay?" 

"Don't leave me."

"I promise I won't."


	7. Chapter 7

She expects them to take her to a hospital. She looks out the window and sees one. They're slowing down. "Please no hospitals, please."

The Doctor strokes her hand. "We have to, Rose. You can barely walk. And especially now. Your...most recent injuries have to be taken care of."

"Please."

"I promise I'll be right by you the whole time. I won't leave unless you want me to." 

She nods and clutches on to him as they stop. "Let me try to walk in, at least. It's...less suspicious."

"Rose--" he cuts short. "I'm not letting go of you until we know for sure you can do it." 

She nods and squeezes her eyes shut as she stands. She up on two feet. This is a start. She takes a step, then another. But she knows she's leaning too heavily on him for her to do it by herself. "Just like this is fine."

The Doctor nods as he helps her through the doors. She's taken back rather quickly, which is nice, she supposes. Less people to see her.

A nurse and the Doctor help her into the bed. 

"The doctor will be with you shortly." The nurse tell her before she goes.

"But he's already here," she mumbles to herself. Her Doctor smiles. She smiles back.

"Doctor?" She asks quietly.

"Yes?"

"How long have you known?" 

He studies her for a second. "I had a feeling that first time you and I went out for chips. You said he was interesting, and you never seemed to want to bring him up again. That's very unusual, in my experience."

"Did Donna tell you anything?"

He definitely hesitated this time. "Well, yes and no. I asked her if there was something going on, and she told me that I should mind my own business. But then you started looking more tired and every move was a little more ginger, so I asked again. Pestered her, really. She had told me about her and Lance a long time ago because she had been missing a lot of work. She told me there was a similar situation with someone we both care about. We only have so many mutual friends, and the pieces fit."

Rose is quiet. She has goosebumps from the cold room. She wants her clothes back. She hates hospital gowns. She studies the bumps, unsure of how to respond. 

The Doctor gets up, and starts to walk through the door. 

"Where are you going?" She means it to be casual, but she can't hide the anxiety in her voice. She's scared. Jimmy has friends. Friends everywhere. It's very easy for one to slip in without anyone noticing.

"Don't worry, I'm not going far. Yell for me and I'll be back in half a second. I promise."

She waits for what seems like an eternity, but in reality it's only about a minute. He's holding something. It has a very bland color. He steps closer and drapes it over her. It warm and soft and comforting. "Thank you." She says smiling. 

"It's the least I could do."

"You stayed. You helped me. That's more than I could ever ask for."

"Of course I was going to help you! And as long as you want, I will continue to help you! No one should ever have to go through what you've just gone through. Especially not you."

"I'm glad you think that" she sighs.

"Oh, but Rose, you have to understand. You're brilliant. You're smart and funny and you've got a wonderful spark for life. He didn't see that, and that sucks for him because it's part of what makes you so fantastic!"

She smiles sheepishly. "Thanks. But he saw it at one point. He just didn't like it. And now look where that spark got me."

"That spark got you your freedom back. That spark gave him a black eye he probably won't ever get rid of. Never, ever let that go, Rose."

They sit in silence for a while. She's trying to think of what to say. She wants to explain to him everything that she fears, she wants to tell him that she cares for him. A lot. She wants to tell him everything Jimmy ever did and what she's scared he'll do in the future.

Just then, a doctor walks in. He tries to get the Doctor to leave, but Rose is not having any of it. She wins, and the Doctor stays.

\------

Most of her injuries will heal on their own. She's told that she has to stay in bed for at least a week, if not more.

The Doctor helps her into a wheelchair and they meet Donna outside. 

It's not far to Donna's house. The Doctor sits with Rose in the back seat, and really all she wants to do is curl up next to him and sleep. But it's too short a drive for that, and before she knows it, they're at the house.

She sees a police car in the driveway. "No," she mumbles. "I can't."

"Don't worry, Rose. You don't have to do anything until you're ready. They want to talk with the Doctor, too."

She nods, fighting back sleep. She knows the Doctor is carrying her inside, but she feels like she's floating. She's greeted by something soft beneath her body, and warm above it. A bed. A wonderful, large bed without Jimmy in it. 

"Go to sleep, Rose." He whispers. "I'll be right down the hall if you need me."

"Doctor..." She mumbles, reaching for him.

"Shhh, it's okay. You can sleep. You're safe here. You'll feel better."

She needs to tell him. She needs to tell him everything.

"Doctor...thank you. Thank you for everything. I was scared. I still am. I'm scared he'll come back. I'm scared he'll get released from prison and be worse. He's mad at me and I know it and I'm scared that he'll come after me. I'm scared that he'll come after you. I'm scared that he'll go after Donna. You guys are sweet to me and take care of me without having to hurt me first. But I've put you both in danger. Jimmy's got friends. He's got friends everywhere and now you're both involved and I'm sorry. They could be anywhere and they're all just as bad as him. I'm terrified, Doctor, I really am. And you know what? I thought I lost my spark. It wasn't until I met you that I realized I still had it. And I care about you, too. I care about you a lot. And please don't ever forget that. I've cared since the moment we met, and I will always care."

He stares at her. She's too tired to try to figure out what he's thinking, that's a feat hard enough when she's at her finest. She just hopes everything came out in a understandable way.

"Rose Tyler, you are fantastic." He says smiling and kneeling beside her. "Don't you ever forget that. Now sleep. You're safe."

She listens and falls into a deep, well deserved sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have two versions of Chapter 8, and I think I know which one I will actually end up publishing. If you want the other version, let me know and I'll try to add it as an additional chapter. You can do that on this site, right? I hope so.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys! This is the last chapter! This is the version that I've decided to use for this particular work, but I also have an "alternate ending" type thing with a slightly different but mostly the same version of this chapter. If you want it, I might upload it! If I can figure out how, that is. Also, don't worry! This story isn't over! I've begun writing a sequel (which has longer chapters) which I will more than likely post. From what I can tell, the sequel will be nice and long. Anyway, I've rambled enough. Enjoy!

She's standing with the Doctor, hand in hand. She looks up at him and smiles, and he smiles back.

"How long are you going to stay with me?" He asks.

"Forever." She replies, giving his hand a squeeze. 

They stand like that for a few moments more. Neither wants to move from this spot. They both have things to say to each other, but neither wants to start. 

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"I just thought you should kn--"

"Rosie! My girl! How ya been? Come on now, it's time to go home." Says the one man Rose is dreading to see.

"No, Jimmy. We're done. I told you." She tries so hard to be brave but she just can't bring herself to sound it.

"Nonsense. You know that's nonsense." He threatens as he advances on them.

"She said she didn't want to go." The Doctor speaks up. His tone is matter of fact, but his face and his body clench and threaten.

"And how're you gonna stop me?"

"Leave her alone, and you get to leave unharmed."

Rose has that feeling again. She knows what coming. Her stomach churns and her heart rate rises. 

"Look, Rosie! You've got a friend! Well, that can be taken care of!" 

Before he's even finished his sentence he lunges at the Doctor, knocking him over. She knows he's trying to fight back, but Jimmy was just too fast. Three punches and the Doctor is nearly unconscious.

"Come on, Rosie! It's just you and me now!" His tone is menacing.

She tries to run but her body won't listen. Jimmy grabs her.

"Let me go!" She yells, her throat sore.

"Yeah right, bitch! You're not getting away from me this time!" He yells as he slaps her. "That's for not listening to me in the first place!"

She screams in pain and tries to get away. Jimmy's too quick. He's dragging her away from the Doctor. 

"Doctor!" She screams as loud as she can. It's blood curdling. 

"Rose!" He yells. "Rose! Rose! Wake up, wake up, Rose please!"

She jolts into another world. Everything is fuzzy, but she finally focuses on the Doctor's face. She shaking and cold and she's scared.

She touches his face, and he's okay. No blood, no concussion, no bumps. 

"You're okay." She whispers in disbelief.

"I am okay. And so are you. I promise." 

He looks in her eyes and he must see some of the demons that haunt her nightmares because he pulls her into a hug that is all that she needs. She feels protected, cared about, and even a little loved.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks quietly.

"'S stupid, really. It's just a dream. It shouldn't scare me."

"Sometimes dreams can be just as terrible as the real thing. I know."

She nods and buries her face in his shoulder. She's still so tired. She knows if she sleeps again she see those awful images. Everything still hurts. She reaches up to gently rub her cheek. She doesn't feel anything new. There's a twinge of pain, but she doesn't know if she's imagining it. She figures she is.

He must be watching her, because he caresses the cheek with a feather's touch. He still holds her close as he maneuvers them so she can lay down again. 

"I couldn't get away," she mumbles, barely audible. "I tried so hard and I just couldn't. It was like my legs didn't want to work. And he hurt you. I hated it, but I couldn't stop yelling for you. He could have taken me and left you alone, but no. I couldn't stop yelling for you. I didn't want to stop..." She trails off, unsure of what to say next.

"Don't stop." He says almost as quietly. "Don't you ever stop yelling for me. I promise I will come for you."

"He's gonna hurt you."

"I don't care. He can beat me into oblivion and I wouldn't care so long as you were safe."

"But I care."

He hugs her a little tighter. "And I care about you. And I'm not going to leave you to get through this all on your own."

She nods. She wants him to stay. She wants him to stay with her forever. She wants to stay with him forever. She's always known, but she could never admit it. She loves him. And now she's scared that she's only feeling this because of everything that's gone on the past day. Two days? She doesn't even know. She's just TIRED and she doesn't want him to leave. 

She looks up at him again, propping herself up to look at him straight on. She studies everything about him, scrutinizing every detail. He doesn't look away. He lets her look at him. She touches his face with fingertips that seem to be the only unharmed part of her body. She looks into his eyes. They're dark and slightly pained. She doesn't know if it's because he's looking at her or not. But beneath that pain and darkness, she sees kindness. She sees a glimmer of hope.   
"You're okay," she says.

He nods.

She looks down at herself. She gently traces the bruises and cuts that aren't bandaged. She absently feels the large bruise on her abdomen. She hasn't looked at it, but if it feels how it looks, it's bad. She looks at her wrists and her hands. The skin on her hands is unharmed. Just as pristine as ever. She looks back up at him. He's been watching her carefully. She meets his eyes.

"And I will be, won't I?"

"Yes." 

She smiles and closes her eyes. "Still hurts, though."

"It will, for a while. Time heals everything."

"It's going to be a lot of time." She says looking away. Tears are flooding her eyes again and she doesn't know why she can't stop crying.

"We've got all the time in the world."

She looks back at him and smiles. Maybe things will be okay.


	9. Chapter 8 (Alternate Version)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Most of this chapter is the same, but it's got a little bit more to it that leads more fluidly into the sequel. Enjoy! 
> 
>  
> 
> (Also, special thanks to Tygerlily for reading my story and enjoying it, your comments continually make my day!)

She's standing with the Doctor, hand in hand. She looks up at him and smiles, and he smiles back.

"How long are you going to stay with me?" He asks.

"Forever." She replies, giving his hand a squeeze. 

They stand like that for a few moments more. Neither wants to move from this spot. They both have things to say to each other, but neither wants to start. 

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"I just thought you should kn--"

"Rosie! My girl! How ya been? Come on now, it's time to go home." Says the one man Rose is dreading to see.

"No, Jimmy. We're done. I told you." She tries so hard to be brave but she just can't bring herself to sound it.

"Nonsense. You know that's nonsense." He threatens as he advances on them.

"She said she didn't want to go." The Doctor speaks up. His tone is matter of fact, but his face and his body clench and threaten.

"And how're you gonna stop me?"

"Leave her alone, and you get to leave unharmed."

Rose has that feeling again. She knows what coming. Her stomach churns and her heart rate rises. 

"Look, Rosie! You've got a friend! Well, that can be taken care of!" 

Before he's even finished his sentence he lunges at the Doctor, knocking him over. She knows he's trying to fight back, but Jimmy was just too fast. Three punches and the Doctor is nearly unconscious.

"Come on, Rosie! It's just you and me now!" His tone is menacing.

She tries to run but her body won't listen. Jimmy grabs her.

"Let me go!" She yells, her throat sore.

"Yeah right, bitch! You're not getting away from me this time!" He yells as he slaps her. "That's for not listening to me in the first place!"

She screams in pain and tries to get away. Jimmy's too quick. He's dragging her away from the Doctor. 

"Doctor!" She screams as loud as she can. It's blood curdling. 

"Rose!" He yells. "Rose! Rose! Wake up, wake up, Rose please!"

She jolts into another world. Everything is fuzzy, but she finally focuses on the Doctor's face. She shaking and cold and she's scared.

She touches his face, and he's okay. No blood, no concussion, no bumps. 

"You're okay." She whispers in disbelief.

"I am okay. And so are you. I promise." 

He looks in her eyes and he must see some of the demons that haunt her nightmares because he pulls her into a hug that is all that she needs. She feels protected, cared about, and even a little loved.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asks quietly.

"'S stupid, really. It's just a dream. It shouldn't scare me."

"Sometimes dreams can be just as terrible as the real thing. I know."

She nods and buries her face in his shoulder. She's still so tired. She knows if she sleeps again she see those awful images. Everything still hurts. She reaches up to gently rub her cheek. She doesn't feel anything new. There's a twinge of pain, but she doesn't know if she's imagining it. She figures she is.

He must be watching her, because he caresses the cheek with a feather's touch. He still holds her close as he maneuvers them so she can lay down again. 

"I couldn't get away," she mumbles, barely audible. "I tried so hard and I just couldn't. It was like my legs didn't want to work. And he hurt you. I hated it, but I couldn't stop yelling for you. He could have taken me and left you alone, but no. I couldn't stop yelling for you. I didn't want to stop..." She trails off, unsure of what to say next.

"Don't stop." He says almost as quietly. "Don't you ever stop yelling for me. I promise I will come for you."

"He's gonna hurt you."

"I don't care. He can beat me into oblivion and I wouldn't care so long as you were safe."

"But I care."

He hugs her a little tighter. "And I care about you. And I'm not going to leave you to get through this all on your own."

She nods. She wants him to stay. She wants him to stay with her forever. She wants to stay with him forever. She's always known, but she could never admit it. She loves him. And now she's scared that she's only feeling this because of everything that's gone on the past day. Two days? She doesn't even know. She's just TIRED and she doesn't want him to leave. 

She looks up at him again, propping herself up to look at him straight on. She studies everything about him, scrutinizing every detail. He doesn't look away. He lets her look at him. She touches his face with fingertips that seem to be the only unharmed part of her body. She looks into his eyes. They're dark and slightly pained. She doesn't know if it's because he's looking at her or not. But beneath that pain and darkness, she sees kindness. She sees a glimmer of hope.   
"You're okay," she says.

He nods.

She looks down at herself. She gently traces the bruises and cuts that aren't bandaged. She absently feels the large bruise on her abdomen. She hasn't looked at it, but if it feels how it looks, it's bad. She looks at her wrists and her hands. The skin on her hands is unharmed. Just as pristine as ever. She looks back up at him. He's been watching her carefully. She meets his eyes.

"And I will be, won't I?"

"Yes." 

She smiles and closes her eyes. "Still hurts, though."

He pulls her close and helps her lay down again. She winces and bites her tongue.

"I know," he says. "But time helps. Time will always help."

"I'm so tired," she whispers, trying to not let tears spill over. 

"I know. Go to sleep, Rose," he says soothingly.

"I don't want to. I can't. I close my eyes and--" 

She lets her tears flow. She's too tired to stop them. Too weak to be strong.

He holds her close and kisses her head. "I won't let anything happen. I promise."

She nods, still crying. She buries her face in his chest. "Please stay."

"Always."

She lets out a sigh and her breathing evens into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
